Saturday, June 27, 2009

Passion fruit vines

16052009
Passion fruit flowers
I like the passion fruit flowers, so beautiful, so exotic !
I have one passion fruit tree planted in a pot , I bought it from a florist, it was 2 itch height... it is growing healthy so far, flowers blooming and it produces one passion fruit.
Passion fruit flower is a wonderful addition to the garden but it must be treated a little differently than some more mundane plants. This one can be aggressive, invasive, and fast growing so placement is very important and cutting the plant back will probably be required. On the good side is that beautiful flowers and delicious fruit are easily grown and the plants are fairly disease and pest resistant. Passion fruit tree can be grown in a pot, just to make sure that the plants placed in full sunlight for at least 4 hours a day. Additionally, the plants require soil that has good irrigation and drainage and that has a pH level of approximately 6.5 to 7.5.
Passion fruits grow on vines and can be propagated by planting seeds, cuttings, or by grafting. If seeds are to be planted, make sure that they are started indoors then transplanted outside approximately 6 to 8 weeks after being sown. Additionally, transplant plants only during a cool time of the day, such as at dawn. With cuttings, select only those sections from healthy, developing vines. Within four weeks, if prepared indoors, roots should develop. The cuttings can then be moved outdoors for planting. As passion fruit develops, be aware of any pests or diseases that may attempt to harm them. Common pests include slugs and caterpillars. Additionally, fungi or other molds may attack the passion fruit. Because of this, make sure that you consult with a nursery or other gardening shop prior to starting to grow passion fruits in order to obtain the proper pesticides and/or chemicals necessary to prevent any pests or diseases from attacking your plants. You should also prune your vines regularly to rid the vines of pests and to promote new vine growth.
16052009(001)Passion fruit, whose botanical name is Passiflora edulis, is a fruit that grows in both tropical and sub-tropical regions. A native of Brazil, South America, it is also commonly grown in New Zealand. The fruit’s name was acquired years ago from Spanish clergymen who said that the plant’s flowers resembled religious figures.
The flower gets the name passion flower because of early Spanish missionaries who found the plant growing in South America and noticed a cross in the flower (i.e. "the passion of Christ"). There were other features of the flower that can be said to have religious connotations.
Passion fruits are a healthy addition to daily meals. Passion fruits provide a good source of fibber, are low in sodium, and contain no cholesterol. They also provide a high amount of the vitamins A and C and offer an excellent source of potassium. For those who count calories, approximately 145 grams of passion fruit, which is the equivalent of 7-8 passion fruits, contain 140 calories. Additionally, this same amount of passion fruit contains approximately 1 gram of fat. Passion fruits are a highly nutritious addition to any meal or dessert.

2 comments:

cyleo said...

Leaves of my Passion Fruit suddenly became limp & lifeless. the fruits too appeared wrinkled up. Any advice to bring the plants back to normal will be much appreciated.

Unknown said...

Great article.

Is there anywhere I can buy seeds/ young passion fruit sprouts in Singapore.

David